frameshift

[ freym-shift ]

nounGenetics.
  1. the addition or deletion of one or more nucleotides in a strand of DNA, which shifts the codon triplets of the genetic code of messenger RNA and causes a misreading during translation, resulting in an aberrant protein and therefore a mutation.

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Origin of frameshift

1

Words Nearby frameshift

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

Scientific definitions for frameshift

frameshift

[ frāmshĭft′ ]


  1. Relating to a mutation that occurs when one or two nucleotides are added or deleted, with the result that every codon beyond the point of insertion or deletion is read incorrectly during translation. See more at point mutation.

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